Drunk Phone Call
by breakable-girls-and-boys
Summary: A drunk Gail tries to call her brother for a ride. Instead, she ends up calling a stranger.
1. The Call

"Steve. Steeeeeve, I need you to come pick me up. Now."

"Umm, I think you have the wrong number."

"Steve. Stop dicking around," Gail whined into her phone. "I'm outside the Penny and I'm freezing my ass off."

"I'm sorry, but... I-I don't know anyone named Steve. This is Holly Stewart."

"Steve! Are you listening to me?" She shook the phone. "Come get me! I want to go home," she practically yelled into the mouth piece.

"Uh, look, I don't know who this is, or what is going on, but I'm fairly certain you have the wrong number."

"Steven. Michael. Peck. I don't know what's wrong with your voice, but I've had a lot of alcohol. So get your ass over to The Black Penny, and come pick me up. Preferably _before_ I punch Dov in the nuts."

With a click, the line went dead. Holly looked at her phone, shocked. What the hell had just happened? Who was that? But mostly, what concerned her, was that this woman expected this Steve person to come and get her. She glanced at the outdoor thermometer on her kitchen window, it read negative twenty degrees Celsius.

* * *

"Where the fuck is that prick?" Gail muttered through a clenched jaw, shivering.

"Gail, are you sure we can't give you a ride?" Dov offered one last time.

"Dov, if I have to spend another minute with you and Princess Sunshine over there, being all mushy and gross, I'm going to gouge my own eyes out with a plastic spoon."

"Ok, ok! Just trying to help. I'll see you at work on Monday," Dov said as he made his way to the parking lot.

"Bye, Gail!" Chloe waved enthusiastically toward the other girl, as Dov caught up to her.

She wrapped her arms tighter around herself in an attempt to keep warm.

"Gross," she said to herself. Where the hell was Steve? It wasn't like him to be _this_ late. Sure he could be an ass, but he wasn't one to leave his little sister out in the freezing cold.

She didn't know how long it'd been, but she was beginning to think walking home would be a better idea than waiting for her idiot brother.

That's when a car pulled up to the curb. It was a nice little car, but it wasn't her brother's. She frowned. He was going to pay for this later.

A woman stepped out of the driver's side, she looked a little apprehensive. Gail briefly noted how attractive she was, but was distracted when another car pulled up. This one looked like Steve's, she thought, but it was dark and her eyes were getting tired.

When two men exited the vehicle and entered the bar, she scowled at the departing car. How dare it get her hopes up.

A movement to her left distracted her. The woman from the other car was cautiously approaching.

"Excuse me," she began. "Uh, I, uh… I got a call from someone, um, I think it was a wrong number. She kept asking for someone named Steve, but she hung up before I could explain that I wasn't him, and I got worried that she'd be waiting out in the cold for this guy and—"

"Wait, how do you know Steve?" Gail was very confused, and the alcohol wasn't helping matters.

"Steven Michael Peck?"

"Yeah?" Gail eyed the woman carefully. She couldn't decipher whether this woman was attractive, or if it was just beer goggles.

"W-well I don't, actually. But you called me instead of him. And I couldn't exactly just leave you out here, I mean, it's below freezing! And you know this place isn't exactly easy to find?"

"Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. I called you, instead of Steve, asking to be picked up. And even though you don't know me, and you could be doing literally anything else right now, you came, probably out of your way, to come get me?" Gail needed clarification, because this couldn't possibly be happening.

"Yes, I did." The woman's eyes flicked to the ground, and then back to Gail's.

"Are you, like, a crazy person?" Gail pushed off the wall as she spoke, stumbling a bit as she did. The other woman immediately stepped forward to help steady her, but Gail raised hand to deter the woman as she regained her balance.

"Look, I didn't want to just leave you out here in the cold waiting for your boyfriend or whomever, who obviously wan't going to come, because you drunkenly dialed the wrong number. I was just trying to be nice. But if you don't want a ride, I can just leave." The woman turned back towards her vehicle.

"Woah, wait! I didn't say that." Gail took a step towards her. "I just… it's not something I would have done, so I just... it kind of threw me that someone would do it for me." The dejected look on Gail's face almost broke the other woman's heart.

"I'm not exactly a nice person," Gail said quietly.

"Well, so far you don't seem so bad." She gave Gail a reassuring smile. "I'm Holly, by the way. Holly Stewart. Come on, it's cold. Let's get you home."

Holly moved to open the passenger door, but Gail remained in place.

"Gail Peck. And I'm a cop, so don't even think about trying anything."

"Well, I probably shouldn't mention that I'm the city's Forensic Pathologist, so I know exactly how to hide a body. But I'm tired, and that'd take too much effort tonight, so you're safe for now. Scouts honor," Holly stated, completely deadpan.

Gail looked at the woman in front of her for several moments before she burst out laughing. Holly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, for a moment, she was afraid she'd taken that one too far.

"I like you, you can stick around." Gail was still laughing when she slid into the seat after Holly opened the door.

Holly smiled to herself as she rounded the car, she had a feeling this woman didn't casually admit to people that she liked them. She felt strangely privileged that this woman she didn't even know wanted her to stick around.

* * *

"So, is your husband a cop too?"

"What?"

"Your husband, what does he do?" Holly asked, turning into a subdivision she didn't recognize, but her GPS told her that she was headed in the right direction.

"My what?"

"Steve? The person you were trying to call when you dialed me?"

"Oh my _god_!" Gail covered her face with her hands. "Ew, gross! No, no, no. Nope."

"I-I'm sorry? I think I missed something." Holly glanced over at the woman and noted her visible discomfort.

Gail was fervently shaking her head, "Steve is my _brother_."

"Oh! Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I just assumed, because his name is Peck, and your name is Peck, and I'm _so_ sorry!" Holly blushed, she was glad for the darkness.

"It's fine, just don't ever say anything like that again. Barf." Gail mimed throwing up in her lap.

"I really am sorry—"

"Honestly, it's fine, Holly." Anyone else, and Gail would have tormented the shit out of them, but this Holly person, she just couldn't do it.

Holly pulled the car into the driveway of the address Gail had given her. She threw the car in park, suddenly not ready for the other woman to leave.

"Well, uh, thanks. For the ride. I, um, yeah. Thanks," Gail managed to say.

"Of course. Anytime." Holly flashed her a lopsided grin.

Gail hesitated, she didn't know how to tell Holly she wanted to see her again, at least without sounding creepy or awkward. Fuck it. She'd own the awkward.

"So, I should probably buy you dinner, right? I mean you did drive out of your way to pick me up, and it would only be fair," Gail proposed.

"Well, it is only fair…" There was a glint in Holly's eyes that Gail only managed to catch from the light on the porch.

"Tomorrow night? 7 o'clock?"

"Sure! Text me tomorrow with the details. You should already have my number." That lopsided smile flashed across Holly's face again.

Gail unbuckled her seat belt, but Holly's hand was on her wrist before she could open the door.

"Are you… Will you be okay making it inside?"

"Holly, I'm a pro." Gail opened the door and fumbled out of the car. Luckily, Holly was unable to see the confident look that had been on Gail's face falter. "I'm okay! I'm okay," she assured, standing up straight and turning back to face the other woman. Holly looked skeptical, but gave her that lopsided smile once again. That smile was going to cause problems for Gail, she just knew it.

Gail shook her head, and walking backwards, made her way up the steps of her childhood home. Laughing, Holly reached over and pulled the door shut. Once Gail had made it safely inside the front door, she pulled out of the driveway and began the drive home.

* * *

Out of habit, Holly checked her phone before climbing into bed for the night. She had one message from an unknown number:

'_Thanks again for the ride. Sleep well, nerd._'

She smiled to herself, what a night.


	2. The Date

Gail arrived at the address Holly had given her fifteen minutes early. She remained in her car, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. Why was she so nervous? It's not like this was a date… was it? Her heart was pounding, and she felt a little queazy. Gail wasn't gay. She didn't even know Holly's sexual orientation. But it certainly felt like Holly had been flirting with her via text all day. And Gail had certainly felt butterflies whenever her phone buzzed. And she had certainly flirted right back.

Taking a deep breath in, Gail got out of the car and walked up to the rather posh-looking townhouse. Well, perhaps it only looked posh compared to the frat house _she_ usually called home.

One more deep breath in. She pressed the doorbell... And waited. It felt much longer to Gail, but in reality it was probably only a minute later when Holly opened the door, smiling. Meeting her soft brown eyes, Gail smiled back.

"I just have to grab a couple things. Come on in," Holly said, holding open the door for Gail to enter.

The cop did so, closing the door behind her. She turned around to find Holly walking off towards what appeared to be the kitchen. Gail let her eyes wander down the other woman's frame. Her long, dark, wavy hair cascaded down her back and over her shoulders. Holly had on a blue, fitted dress shirt. She left it untucked, so the tail hanged down a bit, just over the top of her… Gail quickly pulled her eyes away and stared at the wall. She wouldn't let herself admit that she'd been staring at Holly's ass. And she _definitely_ was not about to admit that the feeling now sitting low in her abdomen was the result of staring at Holly's body.

Holly returned to find Gail standing with her hands in her pockets, staring at a blank wall, and smiled to herself. What a strange individual.

"Are you ready to go?"

"What? Oh, uh, yeah," Gail responded, her eyes finding Holly's again. There was that lopsided smile, and Gail couldn't help but return it.

The two made their way outside, Holly pausing to lock the door, and then they were climbing into Gail's car.

"So where are we going again?" Holly asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

"That new Italian place that just opened. My brother wouldn't stop raving about it."

"Steve, right?"

Gail laughed, "Yes, Steve."

Oh god, Holly had certainly taken it upon herself earlier to remind Gail of last night's events. Not that Gail had been so drunk that she needed help remembering, but Holly had found the event to be hilarious.

Silently shaking her head, Gail pulled out of the driveway, and they were off.

* * *

Promptly after they entered the restaurant and Gail gave her name, the maître d' led them to their table. It was situated nicely: off to the side, not secluded, but not exactly close to the other tables either.

Gail watched Holly remove her coat and take her seat, as she did the same. That was when she really saw the front of Holly's outfit. The shirt was not buttoned all the way up, revealing the rather low cut white shirt underneath. Gail reluctantly pulled her eyes away from Holly's cleavage, only to find the brunette grinning at her. The cop blushed a very deep shade of red, and stared down at her menu. Holly continued to grin, as she too turned her gaze to the menu in front of her.

After a moment, she glanced up to see how Gail was fairing. The woman's cheeks were still quite red, and the blush extended down her neck. That was when Holly finally took in Gail's outfit. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Her sweater was black and simple, but it looked nice. And the scoop neck was just low enough for Holly to catch the slightest glimpse of cleavage.

Her eyes found their way back to her menu. _This is _not_ a date_, she told herself. It couldn't be. Gail was just being nice, thanking her for the ride the other night. She was probably straight anyway.

* * *

After ordering, the conversation died down, both unsure what to say. They avoided eye contact: Holly watched her own hands fiddle with the wine glass in front of her, Gail awkwardly looked around at the other tables.

Clearing her throat, Gail finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "You, uh, you look nice."

"Thank you. You as well." Holly beamed warmly at her.

A timid smile crossed Gail's face and she examined her hands folded in her lap.

"So how long have you been a police officer?" Holly asked. Intense blue eyes looked up to meet Holly's own.

"About four years."

"And what made you want to be a cop?"

"Well, I didn't really have a choice in the matter…" Gail's sentence drifted off at the end, as she gazed around the room.

"Oh?" Holly studied the woman before her, an eyebrow quirking up.

"When you come from a family of cops, there are certain expectations." Gail's eyes found the floor.

Holly could sense that Gail didn't particularly want to delve deeper into the topic, so she changed direction. "Have you always lived in Toronto?"

Gail perked up at the new topic. "Yep, born and raised. You?"

"I moved here for school, several years ago, but I'm originally from BC. Victoria will probably always be home."

"So why stay here?"

"Well, I went to University of Toronto for med school, and then I got an internship here, and then a job offer, and so I stayed. My parent's are back in Victoria, though."

"Do you get to visit them often?" The question surprised Gail herself, as she realized that she genuinely wanted to know about Holly's life.

"Not as often as I'd like, but my sister lives here too, so it's not so lonely."

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their food. Gail licked her lips in anticipation as the waiter set her entrée in front of her. Holly chuckled, watching as Gail forgot everything else around her.

The pair ate in comfortable silence for several minutes, until Gail moaned in satisfaction.

"This is delicious. Steve managed something right for once," Gail managed to say around a mouthful of pasta.

The corners of Holly's mouth turned up, as she offered, "Did you want to try some of mine?"

Gail glanced over at the dish in front of Holly.

"I can't," she stated.

The brunette's face fell.

"I'm sorry?" Holly asked in confusion.

"I'm allergic to tomatoes," she said, matter-of-factly, shoveling another bite into her mouth.

"Oh," Holly paused. "Good to know."

"Yeah, sometimes it sucks," Gail shrugged, "It's hard to find good pizza. But I can't really miss something I've never gotten to enjoy, so…" Gail's voice subsided as she took another huge bite of her meal.

"I'm sorry," Holly murmured.

"For what?" Gail's brow furrowed as she peered up at Holly.

"For offering you something you're allergic to." Holly looked remorseful, and Gail didn't understand why.

"Why? Holly, you couldn't have known," Gail attempted to placate the woman sitting across from her. If she was being honest with herself, which _totally_ she wasn't, the giddy feeling she had in her stomach was because Holly cared how she felt.

Gail grinned reassuringly at the brunette, and dove back into her meal. Holly beamed right back at her, and started back in on her own pasta.

* * *

After the meal, Holly and Gail made their way back to the street in front of the restaurant. The night was still relatively young, so Gail proposed they head somewhere else.

"What did you have in mind?" Holly inquired.

"Dunno. What sounds good?"

Holly grinned wickedly. "I have an idea," she said, grabbing Gail's hand and leading her down the road, away from the direction of the car.

"Holly, I do have a car…" Gail trailed off as Holly yanked on her hand again.

"It's only a couple blocks over," Holly said, slowing down a bit for Gail to catch up. She kept ahold of the cop's hand. Gail wasn't about to complain.

The two walked in silence, until Holly stopped them in front of a building Gail hadn't noticed before. She looked up at the sign: _Home-Run Batting Cages_. She looked at Holly.

"Oh _hell_ no." Gail made like she was going to head back the way they came.

Holly quickly tugged at her hand, imploring the other woman, "Come on, Gail! It'll be fun, I promise." Holly tilted her head and gave Gail a pleading look.

"Fine," she grumbled. Walking to the door, Gail opened it, and dragging Holly by the hand, entered the establishment.

* * *

Holly swung the bat, striking the ball with a loud smack, and sending it flying into the net across the cage. Gail was impressed, but she'd never tell Holly that.

The brunette turned back to Gail, who was leaning on the other side of the fence, watching.

"You're turn," she said, smiling as she pulled off her helmet. Holly made her way to the gate and held out the bat towards Gail.

"You made me come in here; isn't that enough?" Gail pleaded with the woman before her.

Holly held her ground. "It's not going to kill you. Come on." She held the bat out further for Gail to take.

"Ugh, whatever." Gail jammed on her helmet and snatched the outstretched bat. She took her position over the plate, and Holly pressed the start button for her, subtly checking out the blonde as she did.

The machine revved to life and a softball came flying at Gail. She swung at the ball, but ended up throwing the bat and running towards the barrier fence.

"Actually, it might kill you," Holly managed between laughs.

Gail gripped the face mask of her helmet, embarrassment coursing though her veins. The machine whirred again, and another ball came flying towards the plate. Holly hurriedly grabbed Gail by the arm and pulled her out of the cage.

Holly pulled Gail into herself, spinning them so that Gail was furthest from the metal cage. The two women locked eyes, and burst out laughing.

"I don't do sports," Gail giggled, shrugging out of the other woman's arms. "I feel so humiliated."

"And the city trusts you with a firearm?" Holly snickered.

"I'm leaving now." The beet red cop removed her helmet, and all but threw the equipment at the attendant behind the desk.

Holly, still laughing, returned her helmet, threw on her coat, and found the blonde standing outside.

"I've played softball for years," Holly breathed, "but I have _never _seen someone try to hit the ball by throwing the bat at it."

"Yes, yes, ok, I've managed to completely embarrass myself. Let's leave now." Gail gripped Holly's upper arm and tugged her towards the direction they had originally come from.

* * *

The drive back to Holly's place was pleasant, and the conversation had flowed easily between the two women. Gail was really enjoying the presence of this new individual in her life.

The two fell silent as the cop rounded to corner onto Holly's street, and suddenly, just like the previous night, Gail was not quite ready to say goodbye.

She parked the car in Holly's drive, and the two women turned to face each other.

"Was this a date?" Gail blurt out.

Both women froze. Gail's eyes dropped down to her lap, then back up to meet Holly's.

A beat passed. Still, neither one moved.

"Do you want it to be a date?" Holly asked quietly.

Gail considered the woman before her, but Holly took the silence as a no. Embarrassed and disappointed, she moved to unbuckle her seatbelt. A hand on her wrist stopped her.

The doctor met Gail's eyes, sitting stock-still as Gail slowly leaned in.

"Wait." Holly licked her lips, an act that did not go unnoticed by the cop. "What about your allergy? I had the marinara sauce…" her voice trailed off as she looked at the other woman's mouth. Gail was intoxicatingly close.

"I'll take that chance," Gail whispered, closing the distance between them.

Gail's lips were quite possibly the softest Holly had ever felt. Their mouths moved together in unison. Slowly. There was no need to rush this kiss. Holly's hand came up to cradle Gail's cheek, while Gail's hands found their way into Holly's hair. Several moments later, Gail pulled back, her hands slowly untangling themselves from the long, soft hair.

"So," Gail cleared her throat, speaking barely above a whisper. "I had a really great time tonight."

"Me too," Holly said softly, flashing her lopsided grin at Gail.

"Can I see you again?"

"I'd like that," the doctor admitted, her grin widening.

"So, I'll talk to you tomorrow then?"

"You better," Holly purred, leaning in to capture Gail's lips in a soft, brief kiss.

She unbuckled herself and with a wink at Gail, made her way up to her front door. She turned back to look at the blonde once more, grinning from ear to ear and blushing as she did, before entering her home.

Gail grinned right back at the other woman, watching her safely enter her home, before driving off. She was still grinning when she walked through the front door of her apartment.


	3. The Concert

Gail stumbled her way into the kitchen. Chris was already awake, seated at the table, with a bowl of Cheerios and a paper in front of him.

"Someone had a good night last night," he said before shoveling more cereal into his mouth.

"What are you babbling on about?" Gail asked, smacking Chris' head as she walked past him toward the coffee pot.

"You came home with this ridiculous grin plastered across your face last night," Chris managed to get out around his mouthful of food.

Gail poured her coffee and took a seat at the kitchen table across from her roommate.

"So did you get some last night?" Chris pressed on, completing his question with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Gail glared at Chris like the idiot he was. "Well that's really none of your business, is it?" She spit out before taking a sip from her mug.

How Gail always managed to make her stare even more icy, Chris would never understand. He didn't think too hard about it though, because Dov walked in at that exact moment.

"All right guys: all day Death Domain marathon. Who's game?" Dov asked.

"I still owe you a good ass kicking," Chris mused.

Gail stood, coffee in hand, and sauntered to the living room as she spoke, "As usual, I'm gonna have to show you two losers who's boss."

"Excuse me, but who won last time?" Dov followed suit, sipping his own coffee.

"Uh, I did," Gail stated matter-of-factly as she took her usual seat, taking care not to spill any of her precious caffeine.

"Nuh-uh!" Chris protested as he too walked into the living room. "I won the last championship match!"

"I whooped both your asses before I was forced to go to that stupid conference with my mother," she said.

"You still lost by forfeit, Gail," Dov said as he set the game console up.

"And that's the only way either of you are ever going to beat me," Gail stated as she set her coffee down on the table next to her chair, just in time to catch the controller Dov threw her way.

Once everyone was settled and the main screen was flashing back at them, Gail slammed the start button and roared, "All right, bitches, let's do this."

* * *

"Suck it!" Gail yelled as she killed Dov's character for the umpteenth time. The three roommates had been playing for about six hours, with no intention of stopping anytime soon. Pizza boxes littered the floor around them.

"Ugh! fuck you, Gail." Dov defeatedly slumped back into the sofa.

Chris leaned over to high-five Gail, who was preparing to make a very witty, very snarky remark about Dov's game playing abilities, when her phone rang. Chris and Dov both turned to look at her.

She looked at the name on the screen, smiling to herself before she realized what she was doing, wiped the grin from her mouth, and answered the phone, "Hey! What's up?"

The two men shared a quizzical look. Dov mouthed to Chris, _Who is it?_ Chris shrugged his shoulders. Both turned to listen to their roommate's mystery conversation.

"Oh I'm just handing Dov and Chris their asses in Death Domain… Yeah! I'd love to!… Ok… Yeah, that's fine, I'll just meet you there… Sounds good, see you then!"

Gail looked up as she ended the call to find the guys staring at her, puzzlement written across both of their faces.

Both men quickly turned their attention back to the game, avoiding Gail's icy gaze. Un-pausing the game, Dov asked, "Who was that?"

"No one," Gail answered as she killed Chris' avatar.

"Damn it!" Chris muttered. "Well, It didn't sound like no one."

"Don't worry about it," Gail said with finality. She was not prepared to talk to these two about it. "Yes!" She pumped her fist in the air as she demolished Dov's character was yet again.

"That's bullshit!" Dov whined.

* * *

Gail was just finishing her makeup when Dov appeared in the mirror behind her, leaning against the door frame.

"So where are you going?"

"Nowhere," Gail answered, blotting her lipstick.

"It doesn't look like you're going nowhere." Dov crossed his arms.

"I'm staying at my parents' again tonight, so I won't be home 'til tomorrow." Gail fiddled with her hair, making sure it sat just right over her shoulder.

"Are you actually staying at your parents' or…"

"Yes Dov, I am. And even if I wasn't, it's still none of your business."

"All right," Dov placated, his hands up in defense. "But you really gotta get over this thing with Chloe. You can't just stay at your parents' every time she comes over."

"Oh, I can. And I will." Gail turned to face her roommate.

"I think you two could be good friends if—"

Gail shoved her way passed as she interrupted his sentence, "No, Dov, we can't. And I really don't want to chance what happened last time."

Dov followed her to the door of her room. "Gail, I apologized for that. Chloe apologized. I even paid for your drinks for a month!"

"Yes, but until you buy us a new couch, you are not forgiven," Gail said, rummaging through her closet intently.

"I had the cushions cleaned!"

She finally found what she had been looking for and took the leather jacket off it's hanger. Gail slipped it on over the shirt she was wearing. Once dressed, she turned to face her roommate again.

"I don't care! Your naked ass has touched those cushions. That couch is ruined." With that, Gail made her way passed her roommate and headed for the front door, grabbing her keys along the way, and slammed the door behind her.

"Have a good night," Dov mumbled to no one in particular.

* * *

Gail wrung her hands nervously as she waited outside the bar. What was she supposed to do when Holly arrived? Did she kiss her? Hug her? Awkwardly wave? The later was the most likely option. Yes, let Holly instigate physical contact. That way Gail would be at a lesser risk of scaring her off, at least initially.

Oh god, Holly was walking toward her, and damn did she look good. Gail was in way over her head. Oh god, okay, she could do this. Holly was just another normal person. Well, she wasn't exactly normal, but Gail liked that about her. Boy did she like her. Shit.

"Hey," Gail said with a shy smile.

"Hi," Holly returned, lopsided smile in tow. And how Gail liked that smile…

"So…"

"Are you ready for this?" Holly asked excitedly. She grabbed Gail's hand and tugged her inside the building. "These guys are one of my favorite bands."

"Who are they again?"

"They're an American band called The Weepies."

"The… Weepies?" Gail looked utterly confused.

"Yes, The Weepies," Holly stated.

"Please tell me you aren't into super hipster music…" Holly just grinned at her. "That's it, I'm leaving." Gail tried to pull her hand away from Holly's grip, she didn't try very hard, but she made like she was leaving. Holly was having none of it, though.

"They are not a hipster band, Gail. They're a married couple who sing folks-y pop music. They're very good. Also, very adorable."

"Fine. I'll stay. But The Weepies is a very stupid name."

Holly's grin grew even wider as she proceeded to drag Gail the rest of the way into the venue.

* * *

All right, so maybe Gail was totally enjoying the concert. And maybe she was going to pester Holly until she made her a CD of all the band's best stuff, but she wasn't ready to look like she was having a good time. That's not how Gail Peck rolled.

So she continued to sit in the balcony next to Holly, who was hunched forward with her elbows on her knees, listening intently, and swaying slightly to the music. It was adorable. But Gail did her best to hold back the smile that was fighting its way out. What was this nerd doing to her?

The music ended, and some instruments were changed around. Holly took that time to sit back in her chair and see how Gail was fairing.

"So?" Holly turned to face the woman next to her.

"So what?" Gail returned the question, quickly glancing at the brunette before directing her gaze forward once more.

"What do you think?"

"About?"

"The concert, Gail."

Gail shrugged her shoulders as she spoke, "Ooohhh, right. Ehh, they're ok, I guess."

"Just ok?" Holly asked incredulously.

"All right! They're pretty good. But that's all you're getting from me." Gail tried very hard to keep a straight face, instead of the grin that was edging on her lips. Holly was very animated about this band, and Gail found it incredibly delightful.

"You're such a jerk, Gail. They're marvelous." Holly turned to face the stage as the music started up again. Gail chanced a sideways peek to find Holly smiling like an idiot. A very charming idiot.

* * *

The concert was over, and the crowded venue was beginning to clear out. Holly started to gather her things when Gail laid a hand over her arm. She looked up at the other woman.

"Let's wait until all the morons leave. Traffic won't be as bad," Gail said, releasing Holly's arm. All of the sudden, her hand felt a little bit empty.

"So? How was your first Weepies concert?" Holly asked.

Gail watched as the crew packed up the amps, cords, and instruments. "It was…" She briefly met Holly's eyes before directing her attention to the stage once more. "It was pretty good. I like the chick, she has a nice voice," she said, nodding to herself.

"So—"

"All right! Fine. I'll let you make me a mixtape of their music." Gail said as she slumped back in her seat and threw her arms up in mock surrender.

Holly laughed, it was a beautiful, hearty thing. Gail felt her stomach flutter. "I would love to make you a mix CD, Gail," Holly said. "All you had to do was ask." She smiled at Gail again. The blonde felt her cheeks turning red, so she looked down at the floor below them. The venue was still fairly crowded.

"Do you wanna get a drink? Or something?" Gail asked. In the noisy environment, Holly almost missed the question.

"I'd love to, but I have to swing by my friend's place and take care of her dogs. Do you work Wednesday?"

"I have the night shift."

"Would you like to meet me for coffee? Say 9 o'clock?" Holly smiled at the blonde.

"Sure." Gail returned the smile.

"There's this new little coffee shop I've been dying to try off of Front Street, it's called Joe's Cafe. I've heard it's really good."

"Joe's Cafe, really?"

"What is with you and names?" Holly laughed.

"Nothing, I just think they could have done better. Like Cup o' Joe or Bean and Gone or The Daily Grind. It's like they didn't put any thought into it."

"You obviously have. Maybe you should open up a coffee shop."

"Maybe I will," Gail said. She let her gaze wander away from Holly. She'd been staring too much throughout the concert. But Holly was just so nice to look at. Maybe… _No, _Gail chided herself, _Staring is not adorable, it__'__s creepy and weird. Don__'__t be creepy and weird. _She looked at the now empty stage. She wondered what it would be like, to be able to just pack up everything in a matter of minutes and leave, move on to the next place. Never staying still, never getting stuck. She thought it might be nice.

Holly's voice interrupted her thoughts, "Look's like it's cleared out now, we should probably go."

"Yeah, ok," she said quietly.

Holly looked at her, confused for a moment, but she seemed to let it go as she began to gather her belongings. Gail stood when she did, and followed her out of the venue and onto the street.

Gail opened her mouth to ask if she could walk Holly to her car, but the other woman beat her to the punch. "Where'd you park?" Holly asked.

"In the garage, over there." Gail pointed out the building.

"Me too," Holly said, smiling. "We can walk together."

The women walked in silence down the street and into the parking garage, neither one knowing quite what to say, but not uncomfortable with the silence either. As it turned out, they were parked about five cars from one another. They arrived at Holly's car first.

"So, I'll see you Wednesday morning?" Gail had meant it to be more of a statement, but it ended up a question.

"Yes, you definitely will," Holly said. She smiled that lopsided smile, and Gail could feel her knees weaken slightly. She didn't know the protocol here, did she kiss Holly? She'd kissed her yesterday, after their date. But what was this? Was this another date? Were they dating? She suddenly felt very awkward and unsure. _Get your shit together, Peck. _It had never been this difficult when it came to men. But then again, she thought, it had never really mattered what men had thought of her. But Holly, Holly was very different.

She looked back at Holly, finally meeting her eyes. A look of concern briefly passed over the doctor's face. She looked hesitant. But then something changed. Maybe she had seen something in Gail's eyes. Something that told her it was ok to step forward and close the gap between the two of them.

Gail was positive she could spend the rest of her life kissing Holly. Forget food. Forget water. Forget coffee. All she needed was to kiss Holly. She let herself be consumed by the kiss. Her hands found the material of Holly's coat and pulled her closer. She could feel the brunette smiling into the kiss as her hands came up to hold Gail's face. They stood like that for several moments. Neither one ready to end the night.

It wasn't until a car alarm sounded somewhere in the distance, that Holly pulled back slightly, a smile still on her lips. "I should go before Kate's dogs pee all over her carpet."

"That is a lovely image, thank you for sharing," Gail said, her hands releasing the other woman's coat.

Holly laughed, "Bye, Gail."

Gail watched Holly get settled in her car and leave safely before she climbed into Chris's borrowed Jeep. She smiled to herself. _You__'__re an idiot, _she told herself, but she continued to smile anyway.


End file.
